The present invention relates to a reflection type photographic printer, and more particularly to a reflection type photographic printer which is capable of printing an image frame of a photographic film without reloading it even if the film is incorrectly loaded upside down.
Conventional photographic printers use primarily a linear printing optical path or an L-shaped printing optical path. FIG. 10 shows an example of a photographic printer having a linear printing optical path. A photographic film, e.g., a negative film, set on a film carrier 7, is disposed facing a photosensitive member, e.g., a color paper 4. A printing lens 2 is interposed therebetween so that an image frame recorded in the negative film 1 is printed on the color film 4.
A reflection type photographic printer is shown in FIG. 11. A mirror 6, slanted at a 45.degree. angle, is disposed between a taking lens 5 and a color paper 4, the mirror 6 forming an L-shaped printing optical path 8.
The negative film 1 is set on the film carrier 7 of the photographic printer of FIG. 10, with the film's front surface, i.e., its photosensitive emulsion layer, facing toward the color paper 4. In contrast, with the photographic printer of FIG. 11, the negative film 1 is set on the film carrier 7 while being turned upside down, i.e., with the photosensitive emulsion layer facing a light source 9, because an image projected upon the color paper is reversed between the right and left sides.
At a laboratory using the two types of photographic printers it becomes necessary to change the way a negative film is set on the film carrier 7 in accordance with the type of a printer. As a result, an operator could set the film incorrectly. At a laboratory using only one of the two types of photographic printers, such incorrect setting of a photographic film also may occur. When such incorrect film setting occurs, it is necessary to reload the film correctly, thereby lowering the efficiency of photographic film printing. If printing continues while a film is set incorrectly, a mirror image (with the right and left sides reversed) is recorded on a color paper. The recorded image should be discarded, resulting in economic loss.